“There is a tendency to think of the Sustainable Development Goals as simply another development initiative which is linked to the foreign ministry, and which does not impact on the rest of government,” said Ambassador David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland. “There will have to be a completely new mentality and approach in every country.”

In this interview with Jimena Leiva Roesch from the International Peace Institute, Ambassador Donoghue, who co-facilitated the final phase of the negotiations, said implementation of the goals will not be just for national governments, but for a vast number of other players such as civil society, parliaments, local government, and the academic community.

“Each country would have to think through how it is going to make progress on the goals,“ he said.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all countries during a special high-level meeting in September when most heads of state were in town for the opening of the UN General Assembly. The goals have now entered its implementation phase, which will last until 2030.

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About the Global Observatory

The Global Observatory provides timely analysis on peace and security issues by experts, journalists, and policymakers. It is published by the International Peace Institute. The views expressed here represent those of the contributors and not IPI.

The International Peace Institute is an independent, international think tank located in New York, Vienna, and Manama, dedicated to the settlement and prevention of armed conflict.